The Curse
by Advocaat
Summary: In hindsight, the two of them probably should have taken a moment to consider the potential consequences of taking a dunk in sacred spirit water. Well, hindsight is twenty-twenty and Zuko and Katara are getting a good, clear look at remorse.
1. A Fishy Prologue

**Important Note** : This story will be a series of vignettes beginning from the Siege of the North and continuing on till the end of the series. With a twist, of course. ;) It is co-authored by myself and **Boogum** , the genius behind **The Undying Fire** and many other wonderful AtLA stories. Chapters from Katara's point of view are written by myself and those from Zuko's point of view are Boogum's.

Those of you who have read or watched with Ranma 1/2 are going to find this premise very familiar. *giant unsubtle winky-face*

* * *

 **The Curse**

#1: A Fishy Prologue

* * *

"I see you've learned a new trick. But I didn't come this far to lose to you."

Katara's eyes narrowed and her jaw fell as she breathed heavily, her chest expanding and contracting to pull in oxygen. Her opponent was scowling at her, his yellow eyes flashed with stubborn determination. Neither would be backing down and both knew it.

That was fine. This fight had been a long time coming.

Zuko's hand shot out like a catgator snapping at a wayward turtleduck. Fire erupted from his palm, scalding the air and illuminating the Spirit Oasis like a hearth. A month ago, Katara would've run from the blast, but now was different. Now, she was trained. She drew on that training to pull water from the pool and counter the blast, dousing Zuko's flames as easily as a child blowing out birthday candles. Katara smirked triumphantly and weaved a rope of water through the air tauntingly. _Come at me, bro._ The message in the motion was clear.

Zuko returned her smirk. Despite themselves, both were deriving a bit of pleasure from their brawl. For Katara, it was a chance to finally test her skills against a worthwhile opponent; Zuko was another story. Perhaps he hadn't expected her to be able to fight. Perhaps he even thought he could have fun while he crushed her.

Katara would not be crushed easily, however. She'd spent months dodging and living in constant anxiety over this jerk and she was more than ready to knock him down a peg. Not to mention she'd sworn to never let him take Aang again and she wasn't about to break that oath. This time, she made the first move, striking out with her watery rope and lashing at the overconfident firebender. He dodged expertly and retaliated with a series of short blasts which she blocked by pulling her whip back and reforming it into a shield.

So they fought, Zuko with rage and passion and Katara with determination and resolve. Fire collided with water and then fists and feet. It was gritty and it was fun, but it was also exhausting. It was a surprise to no one when Katara finally thought _enough is enough_ and threw Zuko into the oasis. It was a surprise, though, when he grabbed her ankle and pulled her in after him.

* * *

Katara hugged her brother and best friend in joy and relief as the fleet of enemy warships fled, soon disappearing beyond her line of sight. Everything wasn't okay. Not really. They'd lost a precious friend and suffered many casualties. But it would be. They'd pushed the Fire Nation back and protected the Northern Water Tribe. More importantly, Aang was safe. Zuko hadn't been able to keep him, and for that Katara would forever be grateful.

The next day passed in a blur of recovery and cleanup. The siege had left deep scars on both the grand city and its people. The healers had their hands full tending to the wounded and everyone was busy doing what they could to aid in the relief.

Everyone but one person.

Shut up inside the bathroom of Yugoda's healing hut, Katara held a hand mirror tightly to her breast and rocked back and forth, smothering the urge to scream. She dared not relinquish the normally unassuming object for fear of what she would see were she to catch a glimpse of herself. Because when she'd looked in it before, it had not been her face that stared back at her from its polished surface.

It had been the face of a man.


	2. Doomed

.

* * *

The **Curse**

#2: Doomed

* * *

There were three things Gran-Gran had always said to watch out for: tiger seals in heat, Bato after a whale blubber pot roast, and spirits.

Now, Katara had always been a very smart and abiding child—bringing hundred-year-old air nomad children found in icebergs back to the tribe notwithstanding—and she knew well to listen to her wise old grandmother. If there was one thing living in the harsh climate of the South Pole had taught her, it was that old people only became that way by out-clevering all the nasty bullcrit that tried to kill you on a daily basis. The people who made it to old age were the wise ones; the sensible ones; the ones who didn't fall for the old peeing on the glacier prank. And so, when Gran-Gran spoke, Katara knew to listen. And it had served her well. Until now, that is.

You see, while the first two of Gran-Gran's warnings had always been easy enough to heed, Katara had never paid much mind to the third one because it never seemed like there would be any need. Katara had never met a spirit, and since most people she knew hadn't either, it was easy enough to carry on thinking she never would. Therefore, perhaps we can forgive Katara for not thinking twice about sending her friend's arch nemesis for a swim in the sacred spirit oasis. We've all become caught up in a moment and made poor decisions. It's a very human thing to do. Indeed, it's man's bumbling clumsiness that makes them so charming, some spirits would argue.

Normally, Tui and La were very patient and forgiving spirits. They have been protectors of man for a very long time and are sympathetic to their shortcomings. However, on that day, the twin koi spirits had been experiencing a sympathy deficit. Being under siege by several fleets of Fire Nation warships will do that. Not to mention that the fire brat who had intruded on their sanctuary had zero manners. So, even though we can forgive Katara for her err in judgement, we must also forgive Tui and La for their irritation, given the circumstances.

Ah, forgiveness. A simple word but such a complex and nuanced concept. There are those who would throw it around like tossing buckets of water on a fire. This works well in many cases, however one must also consider the fire. I challenge you to try throwing water on a grease fire, for instance. Perhaps not the wisest decision. But that is a matter for another time, because according to Yugoda, forgiveness was going to be exactly what Katara needed to solve her problem. The problem being that Katara had experienced a distressing shift in anatomy.

It hadn't taken long for Katara to figure out the terms of the curse, although it had happened quite by accident. After hiding out in the bathroom for about an hour, Katara finally decided to call upon her healing instructor for assistance. If anyone would know why she had suddenly switched sexes, it would be Yugoda. We've already established that old people are wise and knowledgeable and the best at giving advice, after all. Yugoda had come promptly, and upon finding the poor girl in such a state of excitement had immediately retreated and returned with a pot of calming tea. It is a fact known universally among old people that tea, like forgiveness, is a tried and true solution to many of life's woes.

Katara had taken the tea with a shaky hand and drunk it down dutifully because she was distressed and frightened and it was all she could do. And, miracle of miracles, the next time she looked down at herself she was all back to normal, every piece of her in its rightful place. T first, Katara had been ecstatic. She was cured! She would never doubt the healing powers of tea again. But then she'd run a rag under cool water to wash her face and, much to her dismay, she'd promptly shifted back into a man. A few tests later, the two confirmed that coming into contact with cold water was what caused the transformation and hot water would change her back.

Knowing this was a relief to Katara, as it meant she had a way to revert to her proper self, but it was clear that she was in need of a more permanent solution. After listening to her recount of her battle with Zuko in the Spirit Oasis, Yugoda had nodded her head sagely and suggested Katara go back and try apologizing to the moon and ocean spirits.

And so, with Yugoda's permission, Katara was allowed back into the oasis, though the reason remained a secret. Katara was understandably embarrassed by her curse and swore the older woman to silence. She told no one; not even her brother or the Avatar. It's not like they needed to know, she reasoned. She would be cured soon and this whole degrading mishap would be behind her.

Except she wasn't. And it wasn't. Though she bowed very low and apologized with utmost sincerity, the spirits hadn't forgiven her. She remained cursed.

With Yugoda now as stumped as she was, Katara knew there was only one person left she could turn to for help. The bridge between the spirit and human worlds; the boy respected by humans and spirits alike. She'd have to go to Aang.

* * *

"So, you're telling me," Aang said, looking at her with a single slender eyebrow raised, "that a _friend of yours_ did something to make the moon and ocean spirits mad and now you need me to use my 'magical Avatar powers' to talk to the spirits on this _friend's_ behalf."

Katara shifted guiltily. She tried for an innocent smile bit it came out as more of a grimace. She really didn't want to let on what had happened but it was looking like Aang wasn't going to be easily fooled. "Um, yes?"

Aang's eyes narrowed and he fixed her with a suspicious look for almost a full twenty seconds before his expression brightened and he said, "Okay!"

Katara breathed a sigh of relief. She really thought she was in trouble for a minute there. She thanked whatever more benevolent spirit was watching over her that Aang was so agreeable and eager to help those in need. He really was a saint.

The two of them returned to the Spirit Oasis and Katara found herself holding her breath as Aang settled into his meditative position and his tattoos began to glow. She shifted from one foot to the other as she waited and wrung her hands nervously, all the while praying for his success. A minute later, Aang's tattoos returned to normal and he opened his eyes.

"Well? What did they say?" she asked impatiently. She didn't feel any different, but then again it's not as if she had any idea what the removal of a curse was supposed to feel like.

Aang shook his head. "No good," was all he said.

Katara blanched. "No good? What do you mean, no good?" she demanded, feeling frantic. Just what was she supposed to do to earn the spirits' forgiveness?

"They said your friend needs to apologize. They won't lift the curse until they do," he said simply.

"But I d— I mean, _she_ did!" Katara protested, throwing her arms up.

"Hey, don't blame me. I'm just repeating what they told me," Aang said, waving his hands in a gesture of innocence.

Katara's whole body slumped in defeat. What was she supposed to do now? Apologize again? She was completely confounded by the whole situation. Why did the spirits have to be so…so frustrating?

"Hey, don't worry." Aang put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Just tell your friend to try again. If she's _really_ sincere and asks really nicely, I know the spirits will forgive her." He offered her a big, confident grin and Katara couldn't help feeling a bit more optimistic.

"You're right," she agreed. "I'll tell her that."

The next day, Katara went back to the Spirit Oasis for the third time, full of anticipation. This time for sure, she would be successful. She would offer the moon and ocean spirits the biggest, most heartfelt apology she could and they would see how truly remorseful she was.

Ten minutes later, she ran back to the healing hut and locked herself in the bathroom, heart pounding. She quickly filled a pale with cold water and, taking a deep breath, dumped it over her head. This time, she had a good feeling. After all, she'd done exactly as Aang said.

Trembling partly from the cold and partly from nerves, she held up her hand mirror and looked at her reflection. Blue eyes and dark skin stared back at her, precisely the shades they ought to be. She had always been told she had an attractive face and undeniably it was so.

But the person in the mirror was not her. She was, well and truly, still very much cursed.

Katara dropped the mirror and slid down the wall until she was sitting on the icy tiles of the restroom floor. Her parka, now too tight on her wider frame, stretched uncomfortably with the motion. She didn't understand. She'd done as the spirits asked and still they shunned her. She didn't know what to do. She was out of ideas.

And more than that, she was out of time. Because tomorrow, they would be packing up and leaving for the Earth Kingdom to find Aang an earthbending teacher. She would be saying goodbye to the Spirit Oasis and any chance at removing her curse in the foreseeable future.

She was in for several long and difficult months.


	3. Zuko VS the Universe

Boogum here! Apologies to all the people who have been waiting for an update. Clearly am the useless one of this collaboration. I have had this mostly written for the last two months, but real life decided to kidnap me (it's terrible like that).

Anyway, hope you like this intro to Zuko's point of view!

 **Zuko VS the Universe**

Some people were born under an unlucky star. Zuko was quite certain that he had been born under a whole constellation of bad luck, complete with a clowder of black cats crossing his birth room, smashing mirrors, and ravens cawing from every palace window. It was the only explanation for the misfortune that followed him at every breath.

Because the Universe hated him. It was just a fact.

He'd stopped asking "why me?" a long time ago. That kind of cynical resignation happened when birthday candles singed off your eyebrows while the five-year-old you tried to make a wish. Or when your dad put you in the Time Out corner for disrespecting him … except the Time Out corner was banishment from the entire Fire Nation, and the only way you could prove you'd learnt your lesson was to capture an all-powerful Avatar who hadn't been seen for a hundred years. Oh, and did he mention he even got a scar to commemorate the event?

Yeah. He was never going to speak out in a war council again. Not ever.

In any case, despite all the injuries, bizarre illnesses, and ignominious defeats Zuko had suffered, he had never let himself be crushed by his miserable lot in life. So, the Universe wanted to screw him over? Fine. He responded with a two-fingered salute and forced his way through the quagmire of obstacles and bad luck that forever paved his path. Zuko was stubborn like that. His motto was "Never Give Up Without a Fight", and he could give one hell of a fight.

But this latest predicament ... well, this one was different. This one felt like the Universe had given him a Universe-sized slap to his face, complete with a mime holding a "Ha Ha, You Suck!" sign.

"It's really not that bad," Iroh told him.

Zuko glowered and hugged his knees to his chest. His very _squishy_ chest, thanks to the new additions that had sprouted up on his body. "Don't' even start, Uncle," he grumbled.

Ever since The Incident happened, his uncle had been trying to cheer him up with a plethora of proverbial platitudes. None of them had made him feel better. It was doubtful that anything could cheer up Zuko's current mood, except maybe getting his male bits back to where they belonged. Oh, and losing the unwanted bouncy bits stuck to his chest. Boobs were just fine on a female; they were _not_ fine on his body, thank you very much.

And that was the problem. He really did have boobs. In fact, his whole body had been transformed into that of a female. Because getting burned and banished just wasn't enough. Because having that bald-headed idiot slip from his grasp ( _again_ ) thanks to an interruption from the bison and its merry crew was not frustrating at all. Because being stuck on a raft with only his uncle for company was not already driving him crazy.

Because the Universe hated him, plain and simple.

"Look on the bright side," Iroh said, and then paused. He scratched his beard. Fish-crickets chirped.

Zuko groaned and flopped against the raft à la starfish of despair. "There is no bright side, Uncle. Just look at me!"

Iroh did. Then he beamed and raised his finger to the air like a great philosopher who had discovered the mysteries of life. "I know what you need!"

Zuko sat up, his expression dawning with hope. "You know how to fix me?"

"No," Iroh admitted, "but I just remembered I still have some tea stored in my pack, and there are some cups and drinking water here, so—"

The light dimmed in Zuko's eyes. "Tea."

He said the word like it was something foul and not to be mentioned in polite society. Iroh just beamed even wider.

"It's jasmine," Iroh explained. "Nice and calming."

With great effort, Zuko resisted the urge to toss his uncle overboard. It was much harder not to lose his temper when Iroh accidentally spilled said "calming tea" all over him after a wave rocked the raft. At least, until Zuko realised that he was male again.

"I don't believe it!" Zuko exclaimed, getting to his feet and feeling his flat chest. Male bits were also back in place. "Your stupid tea actually worked!"

Iroh nodded sagely, as if he had known all along that tea would be the miracle cure. "I have always told you that tea is not to be underestimated, and—"

A wave splashed over the raft. Zuko spat out bits of salty water and then groaned. He had boobs again.

"I take it back," he muttered. "Your tea sucks."

Iroh stroked his beard. "Hmm, let me try something."

"What?"

For answer, Iroh tossed some more tea over Zuko. The prince's body instantly became male. Iroh followed this up with salt water from the sea, which changed him back to female. Zuko's mouth dropped open into an O of understanding. So, this was the real curse: tea equalled male; saltwater equalled female.

"This is quite the curse," Iroh observed. "Still, so long as you have tea on hand, you can at least change back to your male self."

"I suppose," Zuko said, staring at his feminine body in distaste.

What he really wanted to know was what messed up spirit thought it would be a great idea to curse him with genderbending. Whoever it was deserved a good kick to their spirity nads. In fact, Zuko was going to make it his mission to seek down that spirit and do just that (along with capturing the Avatar, of course).

But first he needed to get off this raft.

Zuko sighed and settled back into his starfish of despair pose. Stupid Universe.

 **oOo**

It took almost two weeks to reach land. Iroh thanked his lucky stars that their raft had washed up next to a fancy spa in a Fire Nation colony. Zuko was just glad to escape the battered bit of wood that had become his living hell. Lack of food and drinkable water was one thing, but the real problem had been the tea. They had started to run out after three days. As a result, the ugly side of humanity had surfaced: Zuko, because tea was the only thing keeping him male; Iroh, because the old man consumed the drink as if it was oxygen, and he feared withdrawals.

Zuko still had bruises from the tussle for the final cup.

In any case, the two had finally made it off the Raft of Doom and crawled their way to the fancy spa. For the first time, both had also agreed that finding a cup of hot tea was the first thing on their agenda. Iroh, because, well, Iroh was Iroh; Zuko, because he was currently stuck in his female form, and there was no way in Koh's Lair that he was going to bathe in the female section. That would just be all kinds of awkward.

So, Zuko downed the first cup of tea he saw (it all tasted like hot leaf juice to him), leaving Iroh to ponder the great question of starting with jasmine or ginseng on his own. It was a great relief for Zuko to rinse all the grime and sand off his body before soaking in the natural hot springs. He'd never cared much for the whole "relaxing" thing before, thinking it a rather useless pastime when he could have been training (or hunting the Avatar), but even he had to admit that it was a must after all he and his uncle had been through during the past two weeks. True, there were a few other men relaxing in the bath with him (all Fire Nation colonists, of course), but that was fine. What mattered was that Zuko felt human (and male) again! The Universe was finally smiling on him. Everything was great.

Well, everything was great until he got out of the bath and some idiot slipped on the wet concrete and bumped into him. The cup in said idiot's hand went flying into the air. Something cold and wet trickled down Zuko's face and onto his bare chest. A jolt of energy surged through Zuko, and then he was suddenly conscious of an extra weight attached to his chest area and a feeling of weird nothingness between his legs.

Oh spirits. Oh holy mother of spirits. He had just transformed. He had become a _she_. In the men's bathing section.

Idiot Man's eyes widened and he gaped at Zuko's breasts. "W-wha—"

Zuko let out a word that sounded remarkably like "duck". Then he clamped one arm over his breasts, crossed his legs as best he could, and then shuffle-dashed for his towel in an odd, crab-lobster like sprint. Snatching up the cloth, he covered his body and then fled from the men's bathing area. He could still hear the other men's exclamations of surprise and confusion.

"Not good," Zuko chanted under his breath.

Maybe the men would just assume they had imagined a female in their midst. Maybe they would think he had always been a she.

A frown curved his lips. Now that he thought about it, no one was actually going to think he had the power to genderbend, would they? More than likely the men would just assume a spirit had come to visit them or something. Zuko let out a breath. Yes, that made more sense. No one in their right mind was going to believe a teenage boy, let alone the prince of the Fire Nation, could become a teenage girl in the blink of an eye. Though Zuko was confused as to why an ordinary glass of water had caused the switch. It seemed his saltwater catalyst theory was out. Maybe it was just cold water in general.

"This is going to be a pain," he muttered.

"Are you alright, Miss?" a rather familiar voice came from behind Zuko. "Perhaps I can—"

Zuko's mouth thinned. He turned his head, meeting his uncle's I'm Just A Charming Old Man smile with an unimpressed expression. "I can't believe you just tried to use a pick up line on me!"

"I didn't," Iroh tried to defend himself. "I was just—"

"You dirty old pervert!"

"Now, Nephew, don't be so hasty with your judgements. I was simply concerned to find a young lady standing out here with only a towel to cover herself." Iroh's brow furrowed. "Why are you standing out here looking like this?"

Zuko sighed and explained what had happened with Idiot Man and the glass of water. Iroh stroked his beard and agreed that this did complicate matters. Then he ruined it by trying to cheer Zuko up with the knowledge that at least now Zuko could go into the female bathing section and no one would think twice about it. Not even accuse of him being a pervert.

"What a marvellous view it must be in there," Iroh said wistfully.

Zuko pursed his lips. "You disgust me."

He'd always known his uncle could be a bit of a lecher, but there was something extra gross about listening to Iroh sigh over the feminine form when he was stuck as a scantily clad female. Ugh, just thinking about it made Zuko's skin crawl.

"I can't deal with this!" Zuko snapped. "I'm going to get dressed."

He stomped off (a bit too man-like, it must be noted) and got some undergarments and a complimentary robe from one of the female attendants. The woman, who called herself Ruomei, hid a smile behind her hand when he tied the obi to his yukata low around his hips, as was customary for a male.

"May I?" she interrupted.

Zuko shrugged and held his arms up, allowing her to shift the obi higher around his waist and tie it into a bow. It wasn't as awkward as one might expect, considering he was a prince who often had people help him to get dressed. He did notice that the girl kept glancing at his face.

"Must be tough," Ruomei murmured.

"What?"

She gestured at his scar. Zuko blinked. He had never liked people staring at his scar (though he had resigned himself to it as being inevitable). Still, most people had not dared to actually speak to him about it. He certainly hadn't expected a colonist working at a fancy spa to do so. Zuko was about to go on a rant about respect, but then—

"Of course, you're still very pretty," Ruomei assured him. "I'm sure you'll have no trouble finding a husband."

Right. He was a female now.

"Uh, thanks," Zuko said, even if it ended up coming out more like a question. He really wasn't sure what to make of being told that he was pretty or still had good husband prospects, even with his scar.

Ruomei titled her head to the side. "Forgive me, but you remind me of someone. We haven't met before, have—"

"I've got to go now," Zuko interrupted, already making a dash for the door.

The last thing he needed was for her to realise that he looked like Prince Zuko. His feminine form was much smaller than his normal build (and much curvier around the bust and hips), and his features had also softened with a hint of feminine delicacy, but the scar and hairstyle was the same. Zuko would have to be careful from now on not to let people draw too many similarities. Perhaps he could wear a conical hat; those were pretty handy for at least shrouding his face. Changing his hairstyle might also help, and—

Zuko stopped in his tracks. Dear spirits. He couldn't believe he was actually debating with himself over whether a hat or a new hairstyle would work best to make him appear more like a random female instead of the prince he actually was. How far he had fallen. How—

"Look out!"

Zuko blinked. Then a bucket of hot water sloshed over him. The extra weight on his chest vanished in an instant, and he was conscious of his male bits all being back in place. Oh, crap. If what he felt was correct, he now looked like a male wearing a woman's-styled yukata.

No doubt about it, the universe definitely hated him. There was no other explanation for why the people around him—this time a young woman—had suddenly developed a predilection for spilling liquid on him. Still, at least now he truly understood the curse. It seemed that tea really was just useless hot leaf juice; any kind of hot water would make him switch back to being male, just as any kind of cold water would make him female.

Zuko sighed. Yep, this was definitely going to suck.


End file.
